Fermin Lopez Takes Over Barcelona's No. 7 Shirt

Fermin Lopez has stepped into one of FC Barcelona’s most storied shirts. The La Masia midfielder is the club’s new No. 7, inheriting the number vacated by Ferran Torres after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Ferran’s departure to PSG last week, in a deal worth close to €50 million and tied to a five-year contract until 2031, did more than open a place in the squad. It opened a debate. Who would take on a number that has carried weight and expectation at Camp Nou for decades?

La Liga’s official website has now provided the answer. Fermin, previously No. 16, will wear 7 this season, a clear statement of his growing status under Hansi Flick.

From promising talent to central figure

This is not a sentimental gesture. Fermin has earned it.

The 2025/26 campaign pushed him from prospect to pillar. Operating as an attacking midfielder in Flick’s high-tempo system, the academy graduate became integral to Barcelona’s La Liga title win and their Spanish Super Cup triumph. His energy without the ball, his late runs into the box, his courage in tight spaces – all of it made him indispensable.

Then came the setback. An injury late in the season ruled him out of Spain’s World Cup trip to North America, a brutal blow at the end of a breakout year. The momentum stalled.

He has wasted no time in restarting it. Fully recovered, Fermin has impressed through pre-season, looking sharp, aggressive, and eager. Now he does it with a new number on his back and a new layer of responsibility on his shoulders.

A number heavy with history

At Barcelona, the No. 7 is not just another shirt. It carries a lineage.

Most recently it belonged to Ferran Torres. Before him came Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho – big names, big transfer fees, mixed legacies.

Go back further and the list grows more illustrious. Arda Turan, Pedro Rodriguez, David Villa all wore 7 in the modern era, each leaving very different marks on the club. Beyond them, the shirt has graced some of the most evocative names in Barça history: Luis Figo, Eusebio, and even Pep Guardiola for a brief spell.

Fermin now joins that line. Not as a galáctico arrival, but as a homegrown midfielder who has fought his way into the XI and into the club’s future plans.

New cycle, new numbers

The change at No. 7 is part of a wider reshuffle at Barcelona as a new cycle takes shape.

Joan Garcia has been confirmed as the new No. 1 following the departure of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, a symbolic handover in goal for a side trying to refresh itself without losing its identity. Wojciech Szczesny, brought in to reinforce the position, has taken the No. 13 shirt.

More adjustments are on the way. New signings Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon have yet to receive their squad numbers, and their eventual choices will add further texture to a dressing room already in transition.

For now, though, one decision stands out. Fermin Lopez, the La Masia product who lit up last season, walks into the new campaign as Barcelona’s No. 7.

The club has given him the number. The question now is whether he can turn it into an era.